Doki Doki Literature Club (DDLC) is a physiological visual novel developed by Team Salvato. It first portrays itself as a sweet anime dating simulator appearing cute and welcoming, but as the game progresses, it twists, turning more intense and thrillful. The game centers around four main characters, along with yourself, taking the role of the protagonist. It starts off with joining a literature club just to please your friend, Sayori, who is very persistent in gathering more members. The club persists in poetry, reading and writing poems, and sharing different literature. The club is very short-handed with only four members at the start, Sayori, Yuri, Natsuki, and Monika. Each member has very different qualities and demeanors. Their styles all contradict each other, but every one of them holds unique traits that make them special. Anyone can have their own opinion on which member is the best in the club, but what makes one character the best compared to the others? Their traits, appearances, mannerisms, dialect, interests? Here are the descriptions of each character, and why one may be better than the others. 

The first Doki girl that makes the earliest appearance in the game is Sayori, the vice-president of the club. To start, if Sayori was a queen, she’d be the queen of sunshine. Her character displays a very cheerful and enthusiastic deposition. Her traits portray the “deredere” character type, meaning a character, typically female, in Anime or Manga, who is quite outgoing, energetic, and bubbly. Sayori can have her moments where she can be clumsy and goofy. She can be sneaky and snatch the other club member’s food. Throughout the game, it becomes evident that Sayori suffers from depression, but strives to make the people around her happy. She tries to help everyone around her but stays out of the limelight as well. She is very socially approachable and accepting. She has short and messy coral pink hair that matches her peachy charisma along with a red floppy bow. Sayori does have a tendency to be slightly disorganized, which correlates to her clumsy demeanor and appearance. Her bright blue sky eyes also fit her character and complete her overall appearance. Sayori is always there to help despite her hardships. She tries her best for others to help her cope with her lack of self-love. She will put on a smile for anyone and loves to assist others in any situation. Sayori helps defuse any problems and brings comfort to the members. She finds comfort in her poetry and writing to help express and understand her feelings. Her poetry can be recognized as bittersweet with sweet and wistful words that build into a poem with happy connotations deepening into a saddening tone. “I like happy the most, but sometimes when you have a little rainbow in your head…a sad poem can help give the raincloud a little hug…and make a nice happy rainbow!” Sayori’s traits make her a very relatable character. What makes her character so special is that although she deems a happy and upbeat archetype character, she does have her rainy days. This part of Sayori adds a more emotional and realistic view of her and others who are going through similar situations. Sayori brings all smiles and positivity to the game, and, although she has her struggles, Sayori hangs in there no matter what. 

Yuri is the second Doki. Yuri may not say much at first, but inside she has a lot of words to express beneath her diffident demeanor. Yuri is portrayed mostly as shy, modest, polite, and apologetic throughout the game. She has a hard time making social connections and conceals to a more introverted nature. Her social incompetence can affect how she treats others. Yuri does tend to be insensitive at times leading her to immediately apologize for her abruptness. While she takes comfort in silence, Yuri most definitely desires to be liked and appreciated by others. She may be afraid to speak her mind, as she does worry about being disliked due to bullying in the past, but overall, Yuri just wants to share a good book and a cup of tea. Yuri’s character type can be known as a “dandere,” a term best described as a shy character who prefers to stay out of the spotlight than attract undesired attention. They resort to a shy and quiet nature. When it comes to her interests though, Yuri feels confident and doesn’t hesitate to talk about them. Her hobbies include literature, horror novels, and specifically drinking tea. Yuri’s formal and high intellect reflects in her poetry. Her poetry involves long, advanced words full of articulate language and mysterious metaphors. Yuri is always fascinated by literature and is captivated by the pages of any book. Yuri says, “The world is full of meaning, often hidden deep beneath plain sight. And there are many untold stories behind every person, no matter how well you may know them.” Yuri’s appearance is very modest and poise. She has long violet hair and light purple eyes. Her mannerisms, appearance, and interests all correspond to a diffident and eloquent style. When it comes to the people she cares about most, Yuri will go above and beyond to show her love, and even when she can be socially awkward at times, Yuri makes a sharp effort to grow. 

The next Doki is Natsuki. At first, Natsuki doesn’t seem very welcoming and tends to speak before she thinks, causing her to have a very blunt and self-assertive demeanor, but throughout the game, it becomes evident that she has a soft and caring heart. Natsuki’s character can be best described as a “tsundere,” a Japanese term that depicts a character who is cold and prone to having a brash temper, but gradually shows a softer and sweeter side progressively. Natsuki at first comes off as arrogant and short-tempered, which may make her character not very likable or easy to connect with, but as she gets more comfortable, it becomes apparent that she has an interest in cutesy things. Natsuki has a passion for baking, and she is known to make delicious cupcakes or sweets for her club members. Natsuki has no problem helping others out and doesn’t hesitate to make a batch of cat-frosted cupcakes to prepare for the upcoming school festival. Along with baking, Natsuki also has a liking for manga which she insists is a form of literature. As she aggressively states, “Manga is literature!!,” it becomes apparent how much it means to her despite being embarrassed being the only one who reads it in the club. At first, she may seem hesitant to share her passions, but once she warms up, it becomes clear how much her hobbies mean to her. Natsuki’s poetry is also dear to her. Her writing style may first appear as simplistic with cute words and a silly tone, but the meaning behind her poems shows a more deeper and serious connotation. Natsuki believes that just having simple and short poems can do a lot to get across a deeper meaning. Natsuki’s preference for cute things also corresponds with her appearance. She has short pink hair with two small pigtails tied with red ribbons. Although she denies it, Natsuki has an all-around cute demeanor. She can be fierce, but inside she means well. She truly has a soft heart on the inside and cares deeply for her friends no matter how much they differ. Natsuki may have a hard time adjusting to new people and growing a trusting relationships, but all she wants is to be recognized as herself and share her passions with anyone that is willing to play alongside her. 

The last Doki is Monika. If Monika were real she would have already conquered all land and sea even though she is in high school. Anything Monika sets her mind to, she can accomplish. Monika is the president of the literature club and is very driven in her goals. Monika is overall a well-rounded character. She’s confident, ambitious, and smart. When she sets her mind to something, she won’t stop until she achieves it. Monika is portrayed by all her peers as hardworking and intelligent already making her perceived as popular in school. Her dedication causes her to be greatly admired. The Literature Club is very important to her and is one of her biggest passions. She aspires it to be a place where everyone can come together and express themselves in their own way. Monika said, “Sometimes when you’re writing a poem – or story – your brain gets fixated on a specific point. If you try so hard to make it perfect, then you’ll never make any progress. Just force yourself to get something down on the paper, and tidy it up later! Another way to think about it is this: if you keep your pen in the same spot for too long, you’ll just get a big dark puddle of ink. So just move your hand, and go with the flow!” Monika is recognized as very kind with a calm demeanor. Her gentle expressions and consideration reflect her overall likable qualities. Before the start of the game, Monika has the realization that she is in the game. This leads her to a more lonely state when recognizes her friends are not real. Her actions throughout the game reflect her increasing sadness and desolation. Even though Monika appears with an optimistic attitude during the stimulation, Monika is driven to achieve some sort of happiness. She is aware of the fake reality she’s in, and she just wants to experience joy with someone. Monika cares for everyone despite their hardships and always remains a supportive friend giving helpful advice. The Literature Club means everything to her along with her dedication to music. Monika plays the piano and her compassion for music reflects in her graceful demeanor. She has long brown coral hair tied into a high ponytail with a white bow at the top. She has emerald green eyes and stands at an average height. Monika is very observant and loves sharing different topics and informing others about the different aspects of the world. She has an intuitive outlook and remains calm even under the toughest situations. Monika wants the best for the club and aspires it to be a place where anyone can come to experience new things and joy. Also, her name means fried squid. 

As all the Dokis have special and considerate traits that may contrast with one another. The one thing they all have in common is their compassion and softheartedness. People may have strong opinions on the members whether they really like them or don’t care for them as much, but each member holds a unique personality and deems special qualities. It wouldn’t be as fun if they all were the same or had similar outlooks on certain topics. The Doki’s all make the game fun and interesting. Whether someone has a favorite character or not, each one of the Doki’s has appreciative traits and personalities that make them all the best in their own way from Sayori, cheerful and friendly, to Yuri’s diffident demeanor, Natsuki’s cute and brash behavior, too the optimistic and confident club president, Monika, every member is the best.